Frequently Asked Questions

Kronos is the time keeping system used by various departments at KHSC. If you have been deemed as a part of Kronos, you will receive further training on how to use it (i.e. clock in/out, request time off, swap shifts, etc.) in your KnowledgeNow account.

Staphylococcus aureus is a germ that lives on the skin and mucous membranes of healthy people. Occasionally, Staphylococcus aureus is a  cause of human infection. When Staphylococcus aureus develops resistance to certain antibiotics, it is called Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA.

Staphylococcus aureus is a germ that lives on the skin and mucous membranes of healthy people. Occasionally, Staphylococcus aureus is a  cause of human infection. When Staphylococcus aureus develops resistance to certain antibiotics, it is called Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA.

Most people do not die if they are infected with MRSA. However in severe cases of MRSA bacteremia, death can occur. This is uncommon and tends to occur in those people with other severe health problems. The vast majority of people recover from MRSA, once their health is restored.

If a patient is carrying MRSA, generally no treatment is necessary, as the organism is not causing an illness and often will be cleared on its own when the person’s health is restored. If it is determined that the patient is infected (they have a blood infection, skin infection or wound infection etc.) then the patient will treated with the appropriate antibiotic as determined by a physician.

Swabs are performed when patients are admitted to the hospital and periodically for patients whom are at risk. The swabs are sent to the laboratory for analysis and if positive, the laboratory notifies infection prevention and control so that the patient can be placed on Contact Precautions.

Contact Precautions aim to limit the spread of MRSA to other patients and to health care providers. You may be placed in a private room or with other patients who are also carrying the bacteria. A sign may be placed on your door to remind others who enter your room about these special contact precautions. Those caring for you as well as visitors will be asked to clean their hands, gown and glove before entering your room. Everyone who enters and leaves your room must clean their hands well. The room and equipment in the room will be cleaned and disinfected regularly.

Because MRSA is spread from one person to another by contact, hand hygiene is critical to preventing its spread in a health-care setting. KGH actively conducts regular surveillance to find cases of MRSA infection and to identify carriers of MRSA. If a patient is positive for MRSA they are placed on Contact Precautions.

MRSA is spread from one person to another by contact, usually on the hands of caregivers. MRSA can be present on the health care provider’s hands either from touching contaminated material from infected persons or from touching articles contaminated by a person carrying MRSA, such as towels, sheets and wound dressings. MRSA can live on hands and objects in the environment for extended periods of time.

Risk factors for MRSA infections include invasive procedures, prior treatment with antibiotics, prolonged hospital stay, stay in an intensive care or burn unit, surgical wound infection and close proximity to someone who is carrying MRSA. 

A bacteremia is the presence of bacteria in the bloodstream and is referred to as a bloodstream infection.

Staphylococcus aureus is a germ that lives on the skin and mucous membranes of healthy people. Occasionally, Staphylococcus aureus is a  cause of human infection. When Staphylococcus aureus develops resistance to certain antibiotics, it is called Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA.

For more information and other related topics we recommend you visit:

• Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care - Patient Safety 
• Public Health Ontario - Regional Infection Control Networks (RICN)

Staphylococcus aureus is a germ that lives on the skin and mucous membranes of healthy people. Occasionally, Staphylococcus aureus is a  cause of human infection. When Staphylococcus aureus develops resistance to certain antibiotics, it is called Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA.

When KHSC employees want to access different KHSC applications (email/Kronos/intranet) outside of the hospital network (i.e. from home) they need their KHSC username, password, and be registered through Microsoft Authenticator. This multi-factor authentication process ensures that all of our patient and employees’ information if protected.

To download Microsoft Authenticator onto your phone, please click here.

When KHSC employees want to access different KHSC applications (email/Kronos/intranet) outside of the hospital network (i.e. from home) they need their KHSC username, password, and be registered through Microsoft Authenticator. This multi-factor authentication process ensures that all of our patient and employees’ information if protected.

To download Microsoft Authenticator onto your phone, please click here.

When KHSC employees want to access different KHSC applications (email/Kronos/intranet) outside of the hospital network (i.e. from home) they need their KHSC username, password, and be registered through Microsoft Authenticator. This multi-factor authentication process ensures that all of our patient and employees’ information if protected.

To download Microsoft Authenticator onto your phone, please click here.

If you have not yet received your schedule, please contact your manager.

Moving forward, your schedule will be provided to you as per your department’s specific process. For example, some areas receive their schedule by email, while other employees are a part of the Kronos time keeping system.

If you have not yet received your schedule, please contact your manager.

Moving forward, your schedule will be provided to you as per your department’s specific process. For example, some areas receive their schedule by email, while other employees are a part of the Kronos time keeping system.

If you have not yet received your schedule, please contact your manager.

Moving forward, your schedule will be provided to you as per your department’s specific process. For example, some areas receive their schedule by email, while other employees are a part of the Kronos time keeping system.

Respiratory Mask Fit testing is a test conducted by Occupational Health, Safety, and Wellness to determine which N95 mask is the best fit for your face.

Not all roles are required to complete this test. If your role needs to complete Respiratory Mask Fit testing, you will receive notification from the Recruitment and Occupational Health, Safety, and Wellness teams.

Respiratory Mask Fit testing is a test conducted by Occupational Health, Safety, and Wellness to determine which N95 mask is the best fit for your face.

Not all roles are required to complete this test. If your role needs to complete Respiratory Mask Fit testing, you will receive notification from the Recruitment and Occupational Health, Safety, and Wellness teams.

Respiratory Mask Fit testing is a test conducted by Occupational Health, Safety, and Wellness to determine which N95 mask is the best fit for your face.

Not all roles are required to complete this test. If your role needs to complete Respiratory Mask Fit testing, you will receive notification from the Recruitment and Occupational Health, Safety, and Wellness teams.

The Board of Directors of Kingston General Hospital (KGH) and Hotel Dieu Hospital (HDH) have agreed to create a new integrated academic health sciences centre that will bring together the operations of the two hospitals. The new organization will operate as one hospital with one budget, on two separate sites, and will be overseen by one Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer and Executive team.

The Board of Directors of Kingston General Hospital (KGH) and Hotel Dieu Hospital (HDH) have agreed to create a new integrated academic health sciences centre that will bring together the operations of the two hospitals. The new organization will operate as one hospital with one budget, on two separate sites, and will be overseen by one Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer and Executive team.

The Board of Directors of Kingston General Hospital (KGH) and Hotel Dieu Hospital (HDH) have agreed to create a new integrated academic health sciences centre that will bring together the operations of the two hospitals. The new organization will operate as one hospital with one budget, on two separate sites, and will be overseen by one Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer and Executive team.

Both MRI and CT create cross-sectional images of the body. The main difference is that MRI uses a large magnet and radio waves to produce images where as a CT scanner uses ionizing radiation.

The Hospital Standardized Mortality Ratio (HSMR) is an overall quality indicator and measurement tool used by all acute care hospitals and regions in Canada. HSMR has been used by many hospitals in several countries to help improve quality of care and enhance patient safety.

 

No. The HSMR results should not be used as a guide of choosing where to seek care. A higher than average HSMR result does not necessarily mean that a hospital is “unsafe” – nor does a lower than average HSMR mean a hospital is “safe.” Patients should know that KGH is safe and that the care they receive is top-notch. Every effort – on behalf of everyone serving patients in a hospital – is made to ensure patients receive the highest-quality care possible. Hospital care is complicated and depends on many factors, not all of which are reflected or accounted for by HSMR. That is why many indicators must be examined in order to get a sense of how hospitals are performing – where they excel and where improvements could be made. It is important to look at all of these indicators in combination. To judge performance on only one indicator would be misleading.

The HSMR is an overall quality indicator and measurement tool that allows for comparison of an acute care hospital’s mortality rate with the overall mortality rate among peer hospitals and regions in Canada. HSMR has been used by many hospitals in several countries to assess and analyze in hospital mortality rates and to help improve quality of care and enhance patient safety. Ontario hospitals are beginning to use the HSMR for internal benchmarking purposes: to show hospitals how their HSMR has changed, where they have made progress and where they can continue to improve.

Morbidity and mortality patterns are changing. Hospitals, like ours, have implemented a range of initiatives to reduce mortality and improve patient care. As a result, HSMR results across the country have been progressively improving. So, this year, CIHI updated the methodology used to calculate HSMR results. For example, Quebec is now included, more diagnoses are added and a new approach to logistic regression modeling is used.

The rate reported by CIHI for KGH has included patients whose secondary diagnosis included palliative care. These are patients whose hospitalization was for the purpose of palliative care for the majority of their hospital stay. Because palliative care was not the primary diagnosis, CIHI has included these patients in their calculation for KGH’s HSMR. At KGH, palliative patients accounted for 64 per cent of deaths last year. Without these palliative care deaths, the HSMR would be lower. 

The Hospital Standardized Mortality Ratio (HSMR) is an overall quality indicator and measurement tool used by all acute care hospitals and regions in Canada. HSMR has been used by many hospitals in several countries to help improve quality of care and enhance patient safety.